The only Minnesota Timberwolves player who didn’t play in Monday night’s intra-squad scrimmage at Target Center was Ricky Rubio.
The team says Rubio, who has dealt with injury after injury since joining the Wolves in 2011, was held out as a precaution, and that he hasn’t suffered a set back in his recovery from an ankle injury that wiped out the majority of last season.
The Wolves say they still expect their 24-year-old point guard back when they open the season. But it also looks like he won’t be on the floor Wednesday night when Minnesota hosts Oklahoma City in their exhibition opener.
#Twolves interim coach Sam Mitchell said Ricky Rubio (quad strain) will not play in Wednesday's exhibition opener vs. OKC at Target Center.
— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) October 6, 2015
Though it doesn’t appear the quad issues has anything to do with Rubio’s ankle, the result means Wolves fans won’t get to see their exciting point guard in Wednesday night’s home opener.
“Regular season if he felt like he could go that’s something we would talk about,” Wolves interim coach Sam Mitchell told the Pioneer Press Monday night. “It just doesn’t make sense this early in preseason. Our goal is to have the guys healthy to start the season.”
As far as Rubio’s ankle goes, in an interview for the team’s website Rubio said it’s feeling pretty good. Rubio said he was cleared to participate in 5-on-5’s about a month ago.
